Fellow "Mean-18"ers, First let me say that I'm probably not the best Mean-18 golfer in the world, but I can say that I haven't played a "round" at less than 3 under par for the past nine months --- approximately 3 months after I bought the Mean-18 program! My average, on "normal" courses, is close to 8 under par. ("Normal" courses are those that don't consist of 95% water with little "islands" amounting to the other 5% --- like some I've accidentally down-loaded recently.) Based upon some of the other players scores that I've seen in the two golf leagues that I'm in, it looks like some of you could probably benefit from learning some of the methods I use to consistently score under par. With that in mind, I offer the following "hints". MEAN-18 VS. "REAL" GOLF One of the reasons I like Mean-18, and I'm sure there are a lot of people who like it for the same reason, is that it is a very good simulation of "real" golf. You can get in trouble by trying to "kill" (overpower) the ball. A mis-timed "wrist break" can cause a hook or slice. Rough or sand will magnify the effect of any swing error you make. Etc.... Well, just like in "real" golf, you can sometimes use a purposely mis-hit swing, and the results on the travel of the ball, to your benefit! I think it was Jack Nicklaus who said something like: "To hit a ball straight down the middle of the fairway each time requires perfection. Since man is not `perfect', it is virtually impossible for him to do that most of the time. Since it's easier for a man to be consistently imperfect, you'll be much more accurate with your shots if you purposely try to hit your ball in an imperfect manner." While I'm sure that the above statement is nowhere near the exact words that he used, it's a pretty good attempt at telling you what he had to say. Because of the similarity between Mean-18 and "real" golf, Jack's theory can easily be applied to Mean-18. I should know --- that's my main "trick". HOOKS & SLICES What Jack was really getting at is that if you constantly try to hit a perfect shot, "straight down the middle", you'll probably "hook" or "slice" the ball more often than it'll go straight. Since it's relatively easy to consistently hit a hook or a slice in "real" golf, by placing your right foot ahead or behind your "line of swing", you can plan on that hook or slice and aim accordingly. If you're going to hook the ball --- aim toward the right side of the fairway. If you're going to slice --- aim to the left. Well, the same "trick" can be applied to Mean-18. The only difference is that you control your hook or slice by hitting the ball late or early in regard to the "ideal" line on the "power bar"! The rest of this text relates to how that method can be applied to specific situations in Mean-18. DRIVES People, I began golfing in the late '50s --- the era of Arnie Palmer. Because of that, I can't get on a tee and hit anything but a "killer" swing that usually lifts me right off my feet! That's how Arnie always did it, (and still does), that's the way I learned how to golf, and at 40, I'm getting to set in my ways to try to change. Well, I have the same desire to kill the ball when I'm on the Mean-18 tee, so I had to figure a way to do it without bogeying every hole. So, my normal drive consists of aiming the ball so far to the left or right, depending on if I'm purposely going to hit a hook or slice, that I'm usually aiming at the rough --- or better yet, directly at the biggest hazard on or next to the fairway! The idea, of course, is that if I'm aiming at the rough or hazard, and I know that I'm purposely going to induce a hook or slice, it's almost impossible for my ball to land in the rough or the hazard. I'm a lot better off than someone who aims away from the hazard and tries to hit a straight shot. Chances are greater that he'll accidentally hook or slice (he has no idea which) and the ball will probably end up in the hazard! The one thing you must keep in mind is the effect of the overswing on the hook or slice. In that regard, you also have to adjust your game to the "version" of Mean-18 that you are playing. The original version of Mean-18 that I purchased in February '87, without EGA or "Statistics", would exaggerate your hook or slice if you went into the "red" area of the power bar on your backswing --- but it would do it in a consistent manner. In other words, if you hit two drives, each time letting your backswing go to the top of the bar, and each time hitting the ball at the exact same place in relation to the "ideal" line at the bottom of the bar, your shot would experience the exact same amount of hook or slice. In August I purchased a newer version of Mean-18, with EGA and "Stats", and quickly discovered that "consistency" had been programmed out of the new version. On two identical shots, one may hardly hook or slice at all, while the other may hook or slice so much that the ball goes off your screen! When I complained to Accolade about it, they said "Yes, there is a slight difference, but it's so slight that no-one would ever notice it." They couldn't explain how I noticed it if "no-one would ever notice it", nor could they tell me why I had gained about 3 strokes per 18 using the new program! (That's just one example of the problems I've had dealing with Accolade directly --- I hope you never have the misfortune to try it yourself) Now, I received another new version of Mean-18 in February '88. It looks like it's identical in features to the one I got in August, but it has one big difference! The hooks & slices are still a bit "erratic", but much less erratic than they were on the August '87 copy. So, it appears that there are at least 3 versions of Mean-18 floating around, and you'll have to adjust your "hook & slice" play depending on which one you are using. Who knows, there may be other versions that act differently. HAZARDS As a "rule of thumb", I never attempt to play a straight shot out of any hazard! While light rough will give you a hook/slice effect similar to going just a little into the "red" area on your backswing, heavy rough and sand tend to give you a greater hook/slice than if you hit from the fairway and let your back-swing go to the top of the power bar. If you mis-hit an attempt at a straight shot from a hazard --- you can really find yourself in trouble. Just to give you an idea of what I mean, after some experimentation and practice hitting out of sand traps around a green, I'm to the point that I'd rather land in a sand trap than be 20' from the hole on the green! My chances of sinking my sandwedge shot are about twice as good as my chances of sinking that 20' putt! (And I'm a fairly good putter) The next time you land in a sand trap next to the green, try this: Let's say your in the sand and are about 25' from the cup (an average distance). Aim your player so that the hole is about 1 inch behind your players' back. Let your backswing go up about 3 1/2 marks and try to strike the ball about 3 or 4 "pixels" above the "ideal" line at the bottom. If you followed those instructions, there is a very good chance that you sunk the shot or, at worst, are less than 4 feet from the hole. If you try that same shot aiming directly at the pin, there's an awful good chance that you're going to find yourself with a 16 foot putt to sink! Heavy rough plays about the same way as sand while light rough is a little less drastic. All I can tell you is that you'll have to practice and experiment to be able to adjust for various distances. CONCLUSION Like I said at the beginning. I'm consistently well below par --- it's all due to my use of planned hooks and slices! On the new version of Mean-18, with "statistics", I'll usually show a drive in excess of 275 yds and, while I may not even list a "closest to the pin" figure, you'll probably find that I've birdied one or two par 3's --- if I was lucky enough to land in a sand trap on my drive! I hope this may be of help to some of you. No matter what method you use to play Mean-18, I can assure you that you'll never score real low until you develop consistency --- and the only way you can do that is to practice!! Tom Urbanski 1746 Glenross Blvd. Oregon, OH 43616 (419) 693-5520